And it begins...bring it 12-13...I got this.

A new year is about to begin.  This will be my sixth year teaching.  This summer I completed my masters degree program at UF!  Now that it's over, I know that I am a much better equiped teacher.

I was able to get into my room on Thursday.  I'm glad I wont  be housing the computer lab this year despite the fact that I used it constantly during my classes.  22 laptops and all their wires took up a lot of space!  The lab will be just down the hall and I will just have to sign up for it like everyone else.  Housing last year caused a lot of mobile teaching situations for my classes.  I taught in hallways, the library, the stage in the cafeteria, the picnic tables, a grassy area behind one of our buildings.  It was a learning expierience. 


At any rate here are my before day one pics. As you can see there are just piles of boxes everywhere.  I'm not sure if I will be allowed to keep the large rectangular tables since they were purchased for the computer lab.  They are much sturdier than the usual rectangular tables we have.  I'm hoping for the regular ones or round tables.  I can't stand student desks.



The view from my bathroom door.

The view from my back door.

The view from my front door.

These are the pictures after about five hours of work.  The lovely children are my neice, Kyleigh, and my nephew, Jacob.  They were great helpers.  I'll admit, it doen't look like much righ now.  But I got most of my rubbermaid bins unpacked.  My oldest neice, Alexis, will do my library next week while I am at meetings.  I am not going to do any major bulletin boards this year.  I am going to put up inspirational quotes from famous gifted learners around the room.  I want to use the students projects as my displays so that our room turns into a sort of museum for our theme, Colonial America.

View from the bathroom door  looking over my smartboard and teacher area.

View from my back door looking toards the front door.

View from my front door looking at the back door.

View from my teacher area.

Thoughtful Thursday

I love Thursdays.  I am with my 1st/2nd/3rd group of kids.  They are inquisitive, eager, and excited about learning.  While they need affection, they aren't yet hormonal.  We struggle with transitions because they want to stay longer in a subject, not because they are dreading the next. 

I started our day with a Brainstation called Clue Cards.  Students look at 10 cards with various designs cut into their edges.  They then have to pick with card matches a particular word.  Then you flip the cards upside down and they have to match it to a more complex phrase.  It's logic and flexible thinking strategies.  We had a great time agreeing and disagreeing with each other.

I introducted their choice projects and academic contracts.  The contracts were rough to get through.  These kids don't yet know how to plan for a project in the long term.  I want to stress to them the importance of breaking a big project up into smaller parts so that it doesn't 1)sneak up on you and 2) get frustrating.  They seem excited about their projects.  I hope they turn out well.  They are definitely interestied in the topics so we will see what they come up with.

What I am thinking about today though isn't my instruction so much as the delicate balance between nature and nurture.  We are born a certain way.  Some of us have physical challenges while others have emotional challenges, and still others have mental challenges. 

 I'm a very strong believer in early interventions.  Identifying issues as early as possible and getting kids the therapies that are needed.  Young brains are such an amazing thing.  They grow, make millions of connections.  And by the time they are in the adolescents, have overcome or at least adapted to their challenges.

So where and when do we stop just looking at nature and start to focus on nurture.  Is is a balance of the two?  We are surrounded by the frustrated echoes of, "He has ADHD," or "No meds today".  "She's oppositional defiant".  And all of these said with such defeat.  I'm guilty.  When you have put everything you can into a kid and you still feel like you hit a brick wall. 

But I have seen kids with challenges turn around 360 with the love and attention of parents, friends, family members, teachers, counselors, physical therapists, etc.   These child are the reason we say, "It takes a village."  Adults loving and caring for children with any type of challenge need a network of committed individuals.  No one person will be ALL the difference, but they can be the start of a difference. 

Tonight, I'm thinking of a teenage boy who is struggling with a new diagnosis, new meds, fears, depression.  I hope he knows he has a team of people ready, willing, and able to nurture him...if he will let us. 

I beleive we can accept our nature, chose who we allow to nurture, and consciously decide to become better than we were when we thought we were alone.